2 Corinthians 1
1
Greeting
1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother.
To God’s church that is in Corinth, along with all of God’s people throughout Achaia.
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s comfort in trouble
3May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! He is the compassionate Father and God of all comfort. 4He’s the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God. 5That is because we receive so much comfort through Christ in the same way that we share so many of Christ’s sufferings. 6So if we have trouble, it is to bring you comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is to bring you comfort from the experience of endurance while you go through the same sufferings that we also suffer. 7Our hope for you is certain, because we know that as you are partners in suffering, so also you are partners in comfort.
8Brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be unaware of the troubles that we went through in Asia. We were weighed down with a load of suffering that was so far beyond our strength that we were afraid we might not survive. 9It certainly seemed to us as if we had gotten the death penalty. This was so that we would have confidence in God, who raises the dead, instead of ourselves. 10God rescued us from a terrible death, and he will rescue us. We have set our hope on him that he will rescue us again, 11since you are helping with your prayer for us. Then many people can thank God on our behalf for the gift that was given to us through the prayers of many people.
Paul explains his change of plans
12We have conducted ourselves with godly sincerity and pure motives in the world, and especially toward you. This is why we are confident, and our conscience confirms this. We didn’t act with human wisdom but we relied on the grace of God. 13We don’t write anything to you except what you can read and also understand. I hope that you will understand totally 14since you have already understood us partly. Understand that in the day of our Lord Jesus, we will make you proud as you will also make us proud.
15Because I was sure of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you could have a second opportunity to see me. 16I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and then come to you again on my way back from Macedonia, at which point I was hoping you would help me on my way to Judea.
17So I wasn’t unreliable when I planned to do this, was I? Or do I make decisions with a substandard human process so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18But as God is faithful, our message to you isn’t both yes and no. 19God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the one who was preached among you by us—through me, Silvanus, and Timothy—he wasn’t yes and no. In him it is always yes. 20All of God’s promises have their yes in him. That is why we say Amen through him to the glory of God.
21God is the one who establishes us with you in Christ and who anointed us. 22God also sealed us and gave the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts. 23I call on God as my witness—I didn’t come again to Corinth because I wanted to spare you. 24It isn’t that we are trying to control your faith, but we are working with you for your happiness, because you stand firm in your faith.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
2 Corinthians 1
1
1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Timothy our brother joins me in writing.
We are sending this letter to you, the members of God’s church in Corinth. It is also for all God’s holy people everywhere in Achaia.
2May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Praise to the God Who Gives Comfort
3Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who gives tender love. All comfort comes from him. 4He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves receive comfort from God. 5We share very much in the sufferings of Christ. So we also share very much in his comfort. 6If we are having trouble, it is so that you will be comforted and renewed. If we are comforted, it is so that you will be comforted. Then you will be able to put up with the same suffering we have gone through. 7Our hope for you remains firm. We know that you suffer just as we do. In the same way, God comforts you just as he comforts us.
8Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the hard times we had in Asia Minor. We were having a lot of trouble. It was far more than we could stand. We even thought we were going to die. 9In fact, we felt as if we were under the sentence of death. But that happened so that we would not depend on ourselves but on God. He raises the dead to life. 10God has saved us from deadly dangers. And he will continue to do it. We have put our hope in him. He will continue to save us. 11You must help us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because of what will happen to us. They will thank God for his kindness to us in answer to the prayers of many.
Paul Changes His Plans
12Here is what we take pride in. Our sense of what is right and wrong tells us how we have acted. We have lived with honor and godly honesty. We have depended on God’s grace and not on the world’s wisdom. We lived that way most of all when we were dealing with you. 13We are writing only what you can read and understand. And here is what I hope. 14Up to this point you have understood some of the things we have said. But now here is what I hope for when the Lord Jesus returns. I hope that your pride in us will be the same as our pride in you. When this happens, you will understand us completely.
15Because I was sure of this, I wanted to visit you first. Here is how I thought you would be helped twice. 16I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia. I would have come back to you from there. Then you would have sent me on my way to Judea. 17When I planned all this, was I ready to change my mind for no good reason? No. I don’t make my plans the way the world makes theirs. In the same breath the world says both, “Yes! Yes!” and “No! No!”
18But just as sure as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19Silas, Timothy and I preached to you about the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Our message did not say “Yes” and “No” at the same time. The message of Christ has always been “Yes.” 20God has made a great many promises. They are all “Yes” because of what Christ has done. So through Christ we say “Amen.” We want God to receive glory. 21He makes both us and you remain strong in the faith because we belong to Christ. He anointed us. 22He put his Spirit in our hearts and marked us as his own. We can now be sure that he will give us everything he promised us.
23I call God to be my witness. May he take my life if I’m lying. I wanted to spare you, so I didn’t return to Corinth. 24Your faith is not under our control. You remain strong in your own faith. But we work together with you for your joy.
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